Electrical plug and socket connection



O NV- 21 l93 9- s. M. DEL CAMP ELECTRICAL PLUG AND SOCKET CONNECTION Filed May 15,. 1937 eZam' Inv-#20? one ZY. Maf

tent ov. l, 1939 Scipione M. Del Camp, lll., assigner i to Cinch Manufacturing' m., a corporation of ois rporation, Chicago,

Apcation May 15, 1937, Serial No. 142,857

' con (ci. ris-assi A p v Fig. 12 is a section taken along the line i2-l'2' This invention relates to improvements in elecv tric plug and socket devices.

One object of myinvention is to produce an electrical'connection having an outer: protective shield preventing any damage of the interengaging contact members of the vices. Reference is hereby made tomy divisional application Serial No. 188,086, filed February 1, 1938. v

Another objectof my invention is to:v1 provide plug and socket devices having outer shield members constructed in away to be interengaged when the respective contactsl members of the devices are in electrical contact thereby causing a continuous metal shielding of the electrical connection.

A further object of my invention is to provide a socket `device of which the component parts are of relatively simple construction and may be assembled quickly and easily without the aid of machines.

Other objects and uses of my invention will be apparentirom inspection of the drawing and the specication hereinbelow set forth. Y

Referring to the drawing, in which I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention:

Figure l is a front view ci my improved electrical `connection showing the plug device in'position to'be moved into electrlcalfengagement with the socket device; v

Fig. 2 is a section taken along 'the line 2 2 of Fis. 1:

Fig. 3 is a section similar to that of, Fig. 2

showing the parts in 4electrical engagement, the' contact member of the plug device' being shown in-full; 1

Fig. 4 is a rear jview of the retainer part'of my socket device showing a contact member in assembly therewith; g

Fis. 5l is a iront view ofthe assem lly shown in ".Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspectiveV view of my retainer p per se;

Fig. 'I is a vfront perspective of my preferred contact member;

Fig. 8 is a rear perspective of thecoritact member shown in Fig. '7

Fig. 9 is a front view of a unified. furia `of Fig. 1o ls a plan view of a niodiedy form of plug device;

Fis'. 11 is an endorsed plan section taken on theA line H-l'l of Fig. 43;

plug and lsockets de' the tubular' portion S. the inner end of the Slot i2 forms .an abutment of Fig. 9; 'and Fig. 13 isa section taken along the line it-itl` 1 The Isocket device i comprises a socket contact member 3, a retainer part il of insulating mate rial, with which the contact member 3 is assiemek bled, and an outer metal shell 5 adapted, in myl preferred device, to enclose completely the retainer part and contact member assembled therewith. My preferred plug device comprises a metal shield member t, an insulating plate i secured to one end of the shield member, and a tubular prong 8 `carried by the insulating plate and adapted for cooperatingy .electrical engagement with the socket contact 3 oi lme socket device. The metal shell t is provided with yieldable ngers adapted to resiliently engage the material sadjacent an end oi the shell 5 of the socket device when Ithe contact members are in electrical engagementthus causing`l acontinuous `metal shielding of the connection.

\ Referring in'detail to the component parte of my socket device, the retainer part t, as most tion of one end ci the tubular portion s. The

y,noon

apron lo is preferably of less thickness than the tubular portion thereby providing a face li on the inner side of the retainer at the junction of the apron it with the tubular portion, as most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As a means for providing access to a wire-receiving terminalof the socket contactl t when the last-mentioned part is assembled 'with the retainer, l havefoed a slot. l (Fiss. 5 and 6). extending from the-tree end of the apron it toward its junction with The material adiacent tends I have provided `a notch le extending from adjacent the outermost free end oi the tubular `portion toward the apron it. The side of the' tubular portion 9 in which the notch is disposed has, in my preferred -form,- a cut-awayv portion .i5 (Figs. 2, 3 and 6)- providing a substantially dat surface against -which the vdat rece of ate taching portion of the socket contact member 3 may abut.

The socket contactmember 3, -a preferred form of which is shown in Fiss. 'I a d 8 of the draw'- ing, has a prong-receiving po on comprising a back portion I6 and side portio |I extending from the sides of the back po ons and being bent to form an enclosed region fwith their free edges separated throughout thei'rentire length.

A wire-receiving terminal I8, formedas a prolongation of the back portion I6; has notches I8 and an opening at its lower end (Figs. 5 andszrall with the free end of the'back portion i6 of 7) for attachment of the desired leads or conductors thereto. Asa means for securing my socket contact member in assembly with the retainer part 4, I have provided a hook portion 2| intethe prong-receiving portion at the oppomte end of the back portion from that from which the wire-receiving terminal I6 extends. The hook portion 2| h as `an outwardly-extending portion 22 anld a free end portion 23, which last-mentioned portion extends downwardly in substantially-parallel relation to theback portion I6.

A resilient ringer 24 is formed from the mate' rial of the wire-receiving terminal I8 and extends outwardly from the plane of the terminal I6 on the same side of the contact member as that upon which the hook-shaped portion 2| is dis- 'posedf The outer extremity of the linger portion 24 is spaced from. the outwardly-extending .portion 22 of the hook portion 2|, a distance substantially equal to the length of the tubular portion 9 of the retainer part, for purposes of assembly.

The'modiiied form of contact member 3 illustrated in Figs; 9, 12 and 13 diiers from my preferred form in that instead of providing a single prongreceiving portion, I have provided two pairs oi prong-receiving portions I6 and Il, each oi.'

which is adapted to receive a contact prong of dierent diameter. Each of the prong-receiving .portions I6* and .|15 comprises a pair of side portions l1 extending from the sides of the common back portion I6 and being .bent to form enclosed regions of different diameters (Figs. 12 and 13)- with the free edges of said respective pairs separated throughout their entire length.

e prong-receiving portions I6 and l1* are preferably disposed one'below the other with the lower prong-'receiving portion adapted to receive a pin-like prong of smaller diameter than the upper .prong-receiving portion. As a result of the construction of my modified form -of con'- tact member, I have provided a device which is very useful in connection with testing equipment, as, for example, testing vibrators for automobile radios -wherein there are a variety o! vibrators in use having pin-like contact prongs of varied-diameters.

- Assembly of .the contact member 3- with the; retainer part 4 is a relatively simple matter and is carried out without the use of machineryv through moving the terminal end of the' contact mem'ber into the body of the 4tubular .portion 9 at that end of the tubular portion having the notch `|4 .with Athe lhook-shaped portion 2| in super-.posed relation to the notch. During passage' or the terminal is or the contact member through fthe, -bore of the tubular portion, th'e yieldable nnger 26 will contract tmtil the outwardly extending rtion 22 of the hook portion feliges the ma l of the tubular portion adjacent the inner end of the notch i4, at which'. time portion passes-tbe endet the.

tubular portion and expands so.that theextremity o! the nnger portion substantially abuts The metal shell 5, adapted to shield and protect the socket contact member, has, in my pre-'- ferred form, an elongated tubular body portion 4 25' and a neck portion 26 at one end. .The neck portion 26 has a smaller diameter than that of the retainer part thereby serving to limit movement of the retainer part in one direction through the tubular body portion 26.. A metal shield device'21 (Fig. 3) of any suitable form for covering insulated wire (not shown) may be soldered .or otherwise secured to the other end of the body portion 25 from the neck 26 after the retainer part has been 'assembled with the metal shield. An attaching'meansinthe form of a yieldable 'nger 28 extends inwardly out of the plane of the body portion 25' at a distance relative to the neck portion 26 which is substantially equal to the distance between the free end of theoretainer part 4;. having the notch I4 and the abutment I3 adjacent the notch |2 in the apron III.

After a wire or suitable lead means (not shown) has been connected to the Wire-receiving terminal |8'of' the `socket contact member, the retainer part 4 is quickly andeasily assembled with the metal shell 5 through moving a'n end 'of the retainer parl: into the neckless end of the tubular portion 25 and forcing the retainer part alongA the bore of the tubular portion in the direction of the neck 26. vDuringmovement of the retaining part through the bore of the tubular portion, the spring linger 28 is contracted until the free end of the tubular portion 9 of the Aretainer part abuts -the neck portion 26, at which time the nnger 28 expands so t its extreme end is in substantial engagement withl the abutment I3 adjacent the inner end of the slot I2 of the retainer part, as most clearly shown 'inFlgs.2and3.

fillustrated' in Figs. 1-3, I have provided a metal shield member 6 which, in my preferred form, has a ared en d portion 30. An angular series of relatively straight yieldable iingers Il exe. tend from the. flared portion lo in a direction substantially -parallel with the axis of the metal shield member 6. lrojecting means 32 extend inwardly from each of the iingers 3| cooperating with the dared portion 30 of the metal memberY to hold the insulating plate 1 in assembly with the ilard end of the metal member. The contactprong 8 carried by the insulating plate I extends beneath the extreme ends of the yieldable iingers 3| and is adapted for cooperative. electrical engagement with the socket contactmember 3 of the socket' device. -An opening I3;

(Fig. 2) is provided at the other end of the metal member 6 from 'the naredfend which has a diameter large enough to allow the entrance of a wire or group of wires .(not-'shownitinto the.

metal member for attachment tothe prong 8. a metallic wire-protective device .21 may be .per-

`rnanently securedfto thel en d of themetal niem- Referring now to myp'referred plug device as'.

viding an uninterrupted electrical connection between the respective shield members of the plug and socket devices.

If a continuous metal shielding of the electrical connection should not be desired, a `modi ed plug member may be provided, as shown in Fig. l0, having a cup-shaped retainer part 34 of insulating material carrying a contact 4prong 35 which extends from one end of thepart 36. I ysuch a plug member is used, the construction of the metal shell 5 of the socketdevice may be modified slightly through omitting the neck 26 and merely turning the free end of the tubular portion 25 inwardly so asto reduce the diameter of the tubular portion at one end' for preventing the retainer part from passing through the end. In such a case my modiiied metal shell would serve merely to protect the retainer part and socket contact member from injury, it

not thenbeing adapted to serve as a component part of va continuous shieldingdevice for keeping out external electrical interferences.

Thus by my invention I have provided an improved electrical connection comprising component parts of simple construction which may be easily assembled together to form emcient plug and socket devices for carrying out the desired purposes. I realize that parts of the respective stud and socket members could be interchanged and many other modifications of the particular construction and uses of my invention made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof,'and for that reason my invention is best dened by the following claims.

I claim: 1

1l. In a shielded electric socket device, the combination of an insulating retainer part having a tubular portion open at both ends, a contact member seated within said tubular portion, said contact member comprising -a prong-receiving portion positioned within the tubular retainer portion, an integral hook-shaped portioniu engagement with the material at one end of the tubular retainer portion, a wire-receiving terminal extending from an opposite end of the prong- 'portion oli. said retainer, and a hollow metal shield assembled with the retainer and enclosing the same, and snap fastener means on said shield engagingsaid retainer part for holding said parts securely together.

2. An electric socket device comprising a retainer part having a continuous wall portion bounding an opening extending therethrough and an apron extending from one end of said wall and being open at one side, and a contact member seated `within said opening, said contact member having a prong-receiving portion in said opening and a vwire-receiving terminal integral with an end of said prong-receiving portion and extending beneath said continuous wall portion and at least partially surrounded by said apron,

and means integral with said contact member comprising spaced hook and resilient tongue members engaging spaced shouldered portions of the retainer for securing said contact member' to said retainer.-

3. In a shielded electric socket device, the combination of an insulating retainer part having a tubular portion open at both ends, a contact member seated within said tubular portion, said Y contact rmember comprising a prong-receiving portion positioned within the .tubular retainer portion, an integral hook-shaped portion in en.- gagement with the material at one end of the tubular retainer portion, a wire-receiving terminal extending from an opposite end of the prongreceiving portion, a resilient tongue member formed as a part of said wire-receiving terminal and presenting a shoulder engaging a shouldered portion of said retainer, and a hollow metal shield assembled with the retainer and enclosing the same, said contact member being maintained in spaced relation to said metal shield.

4. A device of the class described including an Y electric `socket device comprising a -retainer part of insulating material having a tubular portion open at both ends and an apron formedas a continuation of one end ofsaid tubular portion, said apron being of less thickness than said tubular portion whereby a face is formed at the free end of said tubular portion, and said tubular portion having a notch adjacent the other end from which said apron extends, a contact member seated within said tubular portion, said contact mem-- ber having a prong-receiving portion and a wirereceiving terminal extending'from an end of said prong-receiving portion and at least partially surrounded by said apron, said contact member having a hook-shaped portion integral with an end of Vsaid prong-receiving portion and a resilient nger portion extending from said terminal, said hook-shaped portion engaging material at the end of said tubular portion adjacent said notch, and said nger portion having its free end engaging said face formed by the junction oi the other end o'f said tubular portion from said notched end and said apron whereby said contact member is secured in assembly with said retainer. i

l SCIPIONE M. DEL CAMP. 

